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Book 5: Chapter 3: Part 2
Book 5: Chapter 3: Part 2
Book 5: Chapter 3: Part 2
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Part 2
Since Zogral was above my head, Im not sure how Im going to be able to keep my mind off of it.
If I dont take a breather at some point, I might be exhausted by the time the battle is over.
Well, I guess Ill have to wait until after the ritual is over.
I cant rest until we have the plan to defeat Zogral.
With this thought in mind, I turned my gaze once again to the piece of emptiness.
Its an extraordinary technology, isnt it, to cut off a piece of Zogral and seal it inside a glass ball?
If a world with this technology were still around today, we might have found a way to defeat Zogral.
Indeed.
The world is a mess, isnt it?
I shrugged my shoulders.
I looked away from the glass ball and saw Surara rolling toward me from across the corridor.
Im the first! Or so I thought!
Surara looked at Leticia and me and shouted in surprise.
Master-san! Leticia-oneesan! Youre early! Have you finished your talk already?
Yes, Im done. Ive told him what I have to tell him, so all we have to do now is to go through with the ritual.
Yes, well do it together!
Surara said and jumped up and down on the spot.
The ceremony will require the help of Iris, Lily, and Leticia, as well as Surara and the other Helper Slimes.
Im really grateful to have friends who are willing to lend their help at times like this.
I am truly blessed.
As I was looking back at myself like this, I suddenly noticed that Surara was staring at me.
Surara, whats wrong?
Master-san? What is that?
Suraras gaze was directed at the piece of emptiness in my right hand.
This?
Yes.
Surara nodded his head.
His expression was more serious than ever.
This is a piece of emptiness. It seems a part of Zogral is sealed in it.
Eeeehhhh! Really!?
Surara rolled his eyes and exclaimed in amazement.
I-isnt it dangerous? Master-san, you wont get absorbed, will you?
Dont worry. It seems to be sealed up.
Thats good, but be careful.
Surara told me with concern and then turned his gaze again to the piece of emptiness.
Hmm.
Whats wrong?
I think I might recognize it.
What?
But maybe I am imagining things. Ill ask the other slimes before the ritual.
Yeah, Ill be looking out as well.
Come to think of it, Surara-sama was created in an ancient civilization, wasnt he?
Leticia suddenly opened her mouth.
It may be that Surara-sama was also created using technology from another world. Thats why you recognize the piece of emptiness I guess.
That could be a possibility, yes.
However, that is only a guess.
If the truth is revealed, it will be when Relics research is advanced.
He said he might be able to make progress in deciphering the ancient texts, and we should look forward to the results of that research.
Not long after that, Iris and Lily arrived.
Ara, are we the last?
Sorry, were late.
No, dont worry about it. Its not the time yet.
I looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it had just turned 11:15.
The time for pickup was originally 11:30, wasnt it?
Yes. Thats right.
I nodded at Leticias words.
So we decided to meet five minutes earlier and meet here at 11:25.
But in fact, were meeting at 11:15, which is 15 minutes before the actual meeting time.
What can I say? Everyone in our party is basically serious.
But its not a cramped, suffocating atmosphere, and in that sense, its probably the ideal atmosphere.
Anyway, all we have to do now is to wait for our pickups.
In the meantime, I told Iris and Lily that Relic had brought a piece of emptiness.
Cant that be used as material for [Creation]?
I dont have a recipe in mind at the moment.
However, as Iris said, there is a possibility that it can be used as material for something.
I think I should store it in the [Item Box] for the time being.
As I was storing the pieces of emptiness in this way, a female staff member of the guest house came in the entrance from outside.
There is someone here to pick you up. May I show you to the entrance?
That was pretty fast.
Fortunately, were all here, so it wont be a problem if they come.
Yes. Let them come in.
Very well.
The female staff member bowed and went back outside.
The pickup person who arrived shortly after was a young woman with chestnut-colored hair in a braid It was Milia.
Good morning, Kou-san! Everyone! Im here to pick you up!
Milia greeted with a bright smile and waved her right hand in the air.
You are as energetic as ever.
Thats right! Its times like this when I have to be in high spirits.
Well, thats for sure, isnt it?
Looking gloomy wont make the situation better. In fact, if you feel down, you wont be able to do the things you should be able to do.
If thats the case, its definitely better to keep a cheerful face.
Anyway, were all here now, so lets get going.
Oh, wait a minute.
Whats wrong?
There are two things I need to explain to you beforehand. First, you will have to walk to the central square. Its about a long enough walk. We originally planned to provide a carriage, but the horses are too frightened now.
Thats understandable.
Iris nodded in agreement.
Even now, Zogral is in the skies over the royal capital. Horses are sensitive creatures, and they cant remain calm.
Thats right. It would be a disaster if the horses got out of control in the city, and Im sorry, but well have to go on foot.
I dont mind. What about you all?
I asked this question, and Iris and the others responded that they had no problem with it.
Then, lets go on foot.
Thank you very much. If its too hard for you to walk, please let me know. I will do my best to pull the carriage.
Milia said this and raised her right hand.
The arm is slender and thin, just like a womans.
No, it would be faster if I pulled the carriage.
The Armored Bear Armor has Monstrous Strength S+.
If its a small carriage, I should be able to move it by myself.
Kou-sama is the center of the ritual, so I cant let you work. Ill take the lead here.
Saying this, Leticia raised her left fist.
The hand is covered with magic power and is surrounded by sparkling blue-white meteor radiance.
If I use the power I inherited from the God of War, I can at least pull a carriage.
I can pull a carriage, too, if I really want to! Hmph!
Even Lily and Surara began to get motivated.
Then why dont you just get the Grand Cabin out and have Dest pull it for us?
Finally, Iris commented calmly.
Well, thats one way to do it.
The Grand Cabin was a large, two-story carriage I had built a while back, and I had asked Dest, the Destroyer Golem, to act as a horse for the overland trip from Aunen to Fort Port.
Well, the distance to the central plaza isnt that far, so well just walk normally.
There was no argument against my words.
Well, it seems that Milia, Leticia, and Lily all wanted to pull the carriage almost as a joke.
I was going to be able to play an active role. What disappointment.
Apparently, Surara was serious.
Well, lets see if he can put his enthusiasm into the ritual.
For now, I guess were going to have to settle on foot as our means of transportation. So, whats the other explanation?
When I asked her that, Milia glanced at the clock on the wall before answering.
Lets see; were leaving at 11:30, right on time, please.
Is there anything wrong with being early?
There is. After all, Kou-san is famous as the Dragon Slayer and has defended the royal capital three times, including yesterdays battle. If you go outside, a lot of people will rush in to give you a big cheer.
Wait a minute. We lost yesterdays battle, you know.
But you still fought to protect the capital, and you kept the damage to zero, didnt you? There are many people who want to thank you, and to prevent panic when Kou-san arrives, knights and adventurers with [Calm] abilities are stationed here and there.
That means the arrangement will be finished at 11:30.
Iris said so, and Milia nodded.
Yes, that is correct. So lets kill some time here for a little more than ten minutes.
What are we going to do to kill time?
How about playing Shiritori*? [T/n: Shiritori is a Japanese word game in which the players are required to say a word that begins with the final kana of the previous word. No distinction is made between hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Shiritori literally means taking the end or taking the rear.]
Well, thats all right.
At the most, we could kill enough time here, and it would be good to take a break.
It is precisely at times like this that it is important to relax and have some fun.
If so, why dont we have some rules?
It was Leticia who said so.
For example, we could limit it to phrases related to the trip so far.
And while were at it, it would be a good way to pass the time if we could at least add a few words about our trip!
Iris added.
It sounds interesting.
Ill do my best!
Lily and Surara seemed to be on board with the idea.
Okay, then, lets go with that rule. Is Milia okay with that?
Yes, Im fine. If push comes to shove, Ill make up a non-existent trip episode and talk about it!
Thats usually against the rules.
Who would you like to start with, then?
Lets start with me.
Leticia was the first to open her mouth.
The sea boat paella. I was surprised when we ordered the paella in Fort Port, and it came in a boatload.
That was a surprise, wasnt it?
I nodded in agreement with Leticia.
It tasted good, and Id like to try it again.
Thats right. Then, Surara-sama, youre next.
That A, its easy!
Surara said with a confident look on her face.
Iris-oneechan! Thank you for always protecting Master-san! [T/n: From Airisu.]
Surara. If you end a word with an n, you lose.
Ah! I was careless! Im sorry I didnt manage to kill time.
No, why dont we just start over as usual?
I suggested this, and Iris and the others nodded their heads in agreement.
So, it was Suraras turn once again.
Then [Item Box]! Its a skill often used by Master-san! I want to go in there too! [T/n: Aitem Boks.]
Creatures cant go in there, though.
Too bad! Next, Lily-oneechan!
R-right?
Lily thought for a moment, then continued.
How about slime?
You mean me!
Surara shouted happily.
Next is Milia-oneesan!
I understand! Leave it to me!
Milia cheerfully replies to Suraras words.
Well, was it ra for Surara-san?
No, its M for suraim.
Oh, thats right.
Milia smiled a little while giggling.
M, huh? Mmm The Inexhaustible Lust Dragon, was it? The dragon that Kou-san defeated before? [T/n: Its taken from mujin (), which means inexhaustibility.]
Yeah. Actually, I defeated it together with Leticia.
As the name suggests, it was a troublesome dragon that multiplied endlessly.
It was thanks to Letitias [Domination] that we were able to defeat it.
The [Domination] is one of Leticias unique abilities, which allows her to control any living or inanimate object she touches by infusing it with her own factor.
By using this ability, she drove the lust dragon to self-destruction, and we somehow managed to win the battle.
Then, Kou-san, its U! [T/n: U from ryu.]
Oops.
I was so caught up in the conversation that I forgot it was my turn.
U, huh?
What could it be?
I cant think of any. [T/n: Ukabanaina.]
Then, next, maybe na?
Iris muttered something like that after hearing my words.
No, no, wait, wait.
That was just a mumble. I mean, Im surprised there arent more phrases that start with u.'
If its a word that has nothing to do with travel, there are plenty of words like sea urchin or wool. [T/n: sea urchin = Uni (), wool = Uru ().]
With this special rule, its hard to come up with one.
After I groaned for a while, Milia eventually said.
Oh, it is now 11:30. What do you want to do?
The purpose was to kill some time, so lets get going.
Then I guess Kou lost the game.
No, wait!
Iriss words had me reflexively opening my mouth.
Maybe with a little more time, I can come up with something.
Ara, Kou-sama, you are surprisingly competitive, arent you?
Leticia murmured with a smile.
Same as me.
Lily said in a whisper.
Its true that Lily has a competitive streak, too.
I remembered that she had tried many times before to distinguish between Gram Origin and Gram Imitate.
Well then, Master-san, if you can think of a word that starts with a u, let me know!
Yeah. You can count on me. Then lets go.
We were leaving the guest house with Milia, and the staff came out in force to see us off.
Kou-sama, everyone, please be careful!
We are all waiting for your return.
Please be safe!
With such warm cheers at our backs, we left the guest house.
We walked through the garden and out the main gate.
There were many people waiting for us.
Dragon Slayer-san! Good luck!
Im rooting for you! Please protect the royal capital!
Kyaa! Please look at me!
Theyre in a huge uproar.
I mean, what was that last statement?
Please look at you? Im not an idol, you know.
The street had sidewalks on both sides and a carriage path in the center.
The sidewalks were full of people, and we were walking along the carriage road.
Youre so popular.
Iris muttered with a wry smile.
It reminds me of when we were in Aunen.
It sure does.
Is something wrong?
The first person to ask this question was Lily.
I remember when Kou-san was very popular after he defeated the black dragon in Aunen.
Milia answered with a smiling face.
Just by going out on the street, people would shake his hand, ask for his autograph, and even ask him to pat their children on the head so that they would grow up healthy and happy.
I remember that too.
That brings back memories.
Im just a human being, though, and I dont have that kind of blessing.
Kou-sama, I object to it.
Leticia shrugged.
You cant call yourself a mere mortal when youre possessed by my brother, the Greedy Dragon of Great Calamity.
Thats true, isnt it?
Iris nodded.
In addition, if the sealed part of Kous memory is revealed, it could be that he is not a mere human being after all.
I think its possible.
Lily nodded her head.
But, Master-san is Master-san!
Surara said in an innocent voice.
If you have a hard time remembering anything, just rub me a lot and forget about it!
I understand. Thank you. Well, whatever the memories are, I will be tired after the ritual, so please massage me as you did before.
Yeah, leave it to me! Ill do my best to give you a full course along with the other Helper Slimes!
While talking like this, we walked through the royal capital.
As one would expect from such a large city, the buildings were large.
We eventually made a big left turn and arrived at the central square.
Oh, Kou-dono! We have been waiting for you!
As soon as we entered the square, King Octo was waiting for us with his escort knights.
I think you can bring out Blaznir here, dont you think so?
Yeah. It will be alright.
The central square was surrounded by trees, but the central area was grassy and quite spacious.
It seemed like it would be no problem to put out Blaznir here.
I opened the [Item Box] and thought about taking out the Blaznir.
Immediately after, a huge magic circle floated on the ground, and when a flash of light burst out, an airship with large bird-like wings on both sides appeared.
Oh!
King Octo exclaimed in admiration.
So this big thing was in the [Item Box]? It was written in the letter from Relic that the capacity was infinite, but its really a powerful sight to see it in person.
Weve gotten used to seeing it, but when you think about it calmly, its quite extraordinary, isnt it?
Iris nodded her head and said.
When the battle is over, you might want to start your own transportation business.
And with [Auto Mapping], you dont have to worry about getting lost!
Milia said as if she was taking advantage of Iriss words.
Leticia opened her mouth further.
And if you use [Divine Speed Blessing EX], you can get to your destination in an instant.
Its going to be very, very popular.
Master-san, youre going to make a fortune!
I didnt expect Lily and even Surara to be on board.
The transportation business, huh?
Hmm
Thats right.
If you read it in conjunction, its transportation, isnt it? [T/n: Not sure about this one.]
No, thats not what I meant.
I mean, I didnt think [Full Assist] would retort.
Really, youre becoming more and more human.
That aside
Even if I do get into the transportation business, its not for a long time down the road. As for me, I still want to see more of the world, and Ive already made enough money.
Sure, youve got a lot of rewards for all the work youve done so far.
Oh, speaking of rewards.
King Octo said with a look of recollection on his face.
We havent talked about the rewards for defeating the Yellow Dragon, the Lust Dragon, and the Demon God Dragon the other day, have we? Then there is this Zogral. The situation has grown so large that it has exceeded the scale of monetary compensation. Why dont you become a nobleman? With the items you possess, you could make the land grow rich and lead a life of luxury.
No, let me refrain. A nobleman, in other words, is responsible for the lives of the people who live on the land. Im not that kind of person.
You are a humble man, Kou-dono. Usually, when people hear that they can become nobles, they jump at the chance.
Thats a good thing about Kou, isnt it?
Iris said with a chuckle, and Milia continued.
Well, in Kou-sans case, I think its okay for him to be a little more greedy.
That said, Kou-samas mind is probably occupied with the battle with Zogral right now, so why dont you think about it later?
I guess so.
I nodded at Leticias words and turned to King Octo.
Please let off on the reward for me.
All right. Ill think about it myself. What kind of reward is appropriate for a hero who saves the world?
I havent saved the world yet.
I chuckled and called out to everyone.
Now, thats enough chit-chat. Lets go inside Blaznir.
I understand. Ill do my best for the ritual.
Lily nodded her head and clasped her hands tightly.
She seemed to be in high spirits.
I wonder if everyone is already here.
Surara was heading for the entrance door on the side of the hull with a happy and joyful look on her face.
Oops.
I havent used Helper Slime Summon EX yet.
Ive established a link with Blaznir.
May I activate Helper Slime Summon EX?
Yes, of course. Ill be counting on you.
The next moment I nodded my head, and white smoke popped up around the deck, one after another.
Here we are!
Hello, Master-san!
Todays the day of the ritual, and were all going to do our best!
The slimes were bouncing around on the deck, shouting cheerfully.
Oh!
King Octo exclaimed in admiration right beside me.
Although Surara-dono is also quite a good one, it is also lovely to see a large number of others making noises together.
Do you want to come with us, King Octo?
Is that alright with you?
Yes. The [Descendant of the God of War] might be useful.
Yes. Then, I will accompany you.
Then, King Octo told his guards to be on the alert around Blaznir and returned to us.
I have given my instructions. There will be no problem without me.
Kou-san, may I accompany you too?
Milia also requested to go with us.
Yes, of course. If you feel anything strange during the ritual, just let me know.
So, in addition to the usual members of Iris, Lily, Leticia, and Surara, I took Milia and King Octo with me and boarded Blaznir.
Immediately after, a voice echoed in my brain.
I will generate a ceremonial field by Spatial Distortion EX.
Is that okay?
Spatial Distortion EX is one of the effects that Blaznir possesses, which gives it a much larger internal structure than it appears on the outside.
It is also possible to add more rooms at will.
Since it had been decided in advance to generate a ritual field, I nodded my head.
Now lets start the generation.
Generation completed.
The ship shook for a moment.
It was probably the aftermath of the Space Distortion EX.
Kou-dono, what was that?
King Octo voiced a question, so I told him that I generated the ritual field with my skills and the granted effect.
You can do such a thing You really are out of the ordinary, arent you, Kou-dono?
No, its not that Im amazing
You want to say that your skills are amazing, dont you?
With a mischievous look on her face, Milia said that.
No, its my skills and the granted effects.
Kou, is that where youre going with this?
Iris giggled at my words.
Its just like Kou-sama to stick to such things, isnt it?
Leticia also chuckled.
After such a scene, we decided to go to the place of the ritual.
The ritual place is this way! Follow me!
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